Ear protector



B. L. CORN EAR PROTECTOR April 29, 1941 Filed July 29, 1940 PatentedApr. 29, 1941 T mm EAR PROTECTOR Beulah L. Corn, Union City, Ind.

Application July 29, 1940, Serial No. 348,300

6 Claims.

This invention relates to ear protectors and more particularly to adevice for protecting the ears during beauty treatment.

An object of this invention isto provide a pair of ear protectingdevices which are adapted to encompass the cars so as to prevent heat orliquids from contacting the ears during beauty treatment operations.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pair of ear protectingdevices and an improved means for releasably clamping the devices uponthe ears, the clamping means being so constructed that it may bedisposed in difierent selected positions where the clamping means willnot interfere with the hair treatment.

A further object of this invention is to provide a pair of cup-shapedear protectors which may be made out of material which is easilysterilized so that the protectors may be used indefinitely, the materialfrom which the protectors are constructed being referably of a cellulosebase.

To the foregoing objects and to others which may hereinafter appear,theinvention consists of the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein are shown embodiments ofthe invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations andmodifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a detail front elevation of a device inapplied position.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through one of the ear protectingdevices.

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of one of the ear protectingdevices.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary front elevation partly broken away and insection of the lower portion of the adjustable clamping means.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1-7 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals I0 and H designate generally apair of ear protecting and ear encompassing members which are adapted toengage about the ears and which are adapted to protect the ears frommoisture or from heat. Each ear protecting member is of likeconstruction and the detail description of one of these members willapply equally as well to the other member.

The ear protecting member Ill comprises a relatively thin sheet ofmaterial which may be preferably molded or pressed into the desiredconfiguration. The material from which the protecting members l0 and IIis formed may have a cellulosive base or may be formed of any othersuitable material which does not readily transmit heat. The protectingmember It) comprises a pair of side walls l2 and I3 which are ininwardly divergent relation and which are connected together at theirouter edges by an arcuate connecting wall I4.

In transverse section the protecting member ii] is of substantiallyparabolic configuration. The side walls I2 and I3 of the protector areconnected together at their upper ends as shown in Figure 2 by atransversely and longitudinally arcuate wall I5 which forms the top wallof the protector. The inner edges of the side walls l2 and iii areformed with a substantially straight edge l6 from the upper ends of theside walls l2 and I3 and this straight edge It merges into an outwardlycurved lower edge I! thus. forming an open bottom for the protector andpermitting the ready entrance of air into the interior of the devicewhen it is in applied position.

As shown in Figure 3, the protector ill in side elevation is ofsubstantially ovoid configuration with the lower end l8 thereof smallerthan the upper end.

The protector it at a point intermediate the upper and lower ends of thearcuate connecting wall M is formed with an outwardly offsetconcave-convex button or projection [9. The convex surface of thisprojection I9, the latter being of substantially semi-spherical contouris outermost and this projection l9 forms a pivot or holding element forthe clamping device to be hereinafter described. The two protectors I0and H are adapted to be held in applied position on the head of thewearer by means of a pair of cup-shaped clamping members 20 and 2 l Theclamping members 20 and 2| are adapted to engage the projections'lll ofthe two protecting members l0 and H and the cup-shaped member 20 hasfixed thereto an elongated narrow resilient strip 22. and is biased inits bowed form so that when the cup 20 is in applied position, the strip22 will be outwardly bent against the normal configuration thereof.

The clamping member or cup 2! has fixed thereto an elongated resilientstrip 23 which is The strip 22 is longitudinally bowed alsolongitudinally bowed being of substantially similar construction to theresilient strip 22. The strip 22 at the end thereof opposite from theclamping member 20 has formed therewith a split guide loop 24 throughwhich the resilient strip 23 is adapted to slidably engage. The strip 23has formed at the end thereof opposite from the clamping member 2|, aguide loop 25 through which the strip 22 is adapted to slidably engage.

The loops 24 and 25 are of like construction and are similar to theconstruction shown in Figure 7.

In the use of this ear protecting means, the ear encompassing members Iand Il are adapted to be applied over the ears with the open endsthereof lowermost. If it is desired to curl the hair under heat, theresilient strips 22 and 23, which with the cup members 20 and. 2|comprise the clamping means for the protecting members, may be disposedin a dependent position as shown in full lines in Figure 1. In thisposition the protecting members It and H are firmly and snugly clampedagainst the head of the wearer and about the ears, whereas the hair ofthe wearer is unencumbered by the strips 22 and 23. The rotectingdevices to and H may also be used during shampoo operations or for othertreatment of the hair and if desired during the drying operation, or atany other time, the strips 22 and 23 may be inverted to the positionshown in dotted lines in Figure l.

The ear protecting devices it and H are preferably made out of materialwhich can be readily sterilized or cleaned so that these devices may beused indefinitely. Preferably the mate- 1 rial of which these devicesare constructed is such that it will not be unduly affected by any heatwhich is used in the treatment of the hair.

What I claim is:

1. An ear protector means comprising a pair of substantially cup-shapedmembers adapted to encompass the ears, each member having a roundedoutwardly oiTset anchoring element formed therewith, and resilientclamping means for holding said members in ear encompassing position,said clamping means including a pair of cup shaped elements shiftablymounted on said anchoring elements, a pair of elongated resilientlongitudinally bent strips secured one to each cup shaped element, saidcup-shaped elements coacting with said anchoring elements for holdingthe strips, through the cup-shaped elements shiftably' mountedon theanchoring elements, said strips having their adjacent ends overlappingeach other, and a resilient guide carried byeach strip through which theadjacent end of the otherstrip is adapted to adjustably engage. i

- 2, An ear protecting means comprising a pair of ear encompassingmembers and clamping means for detachably clamping said members on theears, each member comprising a thin walled body of substantiallyparabolic-shape in transverse section, having one end thereof closed andof concavo-oonvex shape, and with the other end open, each memberincluding an outwardly offset button-like projection, a cup-shaped clamppivoted on and shiftable relative to each projection, a longitudinallybowed resilient strip fixed to each clamp, and means adjustablyconnecting said strips together.

3. An ear protecting means comprising a pair of ear encompassing membersand clamping means for detachably clamping said members on the ears,each member comprising a thin walled body of substantiallyparabolic-shape in transverse section, having one end thereof closed andof concavo-convex shape, and with the other end open, each memberincluding an outwardly offset button-like projection, a cup-shaped clamppivoted on and shiftable relative to each projection, a longitudinallybowed resilient strip fixed to each clamp, and means adjustablyconnecting said strips together, said adjustable means including a pairof guide loops carried one by each strip, one of said strips slidablyengaging through a guide loop of the other strip, said strips beingnormall biased with the ends thereof fixed to said clamping membersnormally urged toward each other whereby outward bending of saidstripswill cause said loops to bind said strips against movementrelative to each other.

4. In an ear protecting means, a pair of substantially cup-shaped earencompassing members open at their lower ends and each formed on itsouter face with an outwardly directed substantially semi-sphericalprojection disposed intermediate its ends and spaced from its sides,and, oppositely disposed resilient means having parts pivotally mountedon and shiftable rela tive to said projections for clamping said membersin ear protecting position.

5 An ear protector including a hollow member for clamping about the earand having an open bottom, said member including a top wall incliningupwardly from its outer to its inner end and of arcuate contour intransverse cross section, a front wall having oppositely disposedrounded sidesand decreasing in width from its transverse median to itslower end and a pair of side walls merging into the topand front wallsand each having portions thereof gradually decreasing in -wic'ithtowards their lower ends, said member in cross section beingsubstantially of parabolic contour, and said front wall being formedwith an outwardly directed rounded projection for pivotally supporting aclamping means for said member, said projection being of convexo-concavecontour in diametric section.

6. An ear protecting device including a pair of oppositely disposedcup-shaped members for enclosing the ears of a person and closed attheir tops and open at their bottoms, said members being verticallyelongated lengthwise and each being formed intermediate its top andbottom and spaced from its sides with an outwardly directed projectionof substantially semi-spheriof the wearer about the ears,

BEULAH L. CORN.

